400 On Genius: - 
ful hold of the fancy by exciting some very 
pleasurable or painful emotion, and which 
became, in consequence, the basis of some 
association reigning for ever afterwards in 
the mind. This predominant association 
gives its peculiar character to Genius; it is 
a sort of standard, to which all the ideas are 
referred ; a fixed point, to which they have 
have all a marked and definite relation; the 
central image of the mind, which is reflected 
in various shapes and hues from the surround- 
ing mirror of nature. Toa dull and insen- 
sible mind few events possess sufficient inter- 
est, to leave behind them a strong and lasting 
influence on the character. Their traces are 
effaced by the impressions of succeeding 
events; and the mind takes its ultimate form 
and character from the plastic hand of an 
artificial education. It adopts implicitly the 
feelings and associations of others; it thinks 
through the medium of their reasonings; it 
looks at nature and society under the particu- 
lar aspect in which the world has chosen to 
presentthem. But, on the other hand, when 
the soul is endued by nature with an ardent 
and enthusiastic temperament; and its ener- 
gies and its sensibilities have been all deter- 
mined by some powerful association of plea- 
sure and pain into a particular direction ;— 
